Going Low Tech

jreddiex

Posted 20 June 2012 - 04:48 PM

jreddiex

Newbie

Validated Member

4 posts

Australia

Hi,
I'm looking at starting a hobby cartography project.
The project will be roughly be 1.8m by 1.2m (6ft by 4ft). ( A Map of Queensland, Australia)

What are the methods used for hand drafting on this size of work.
With regards to paper are sheets joined together to is it best to get a single sheet that size? If they are joined by what methods are better to use?

Drawing boards is it best to build one for the whole project or use a smaller one and realign the project for each area I work on.

Also any tips people have with which type of pens and methods of pen use to reduce blotting and smearing for hand drafting, would be greatly appreciated.

Dennis McClendon

Posted 21 June 2012 - 01:21 PM

So we can better understand, perhaps you could elaborate on your reasons for doing something so large and doing it by hand.

The first question is about how you will handle "horizontal control," the setting out (proportionally) of the state outline, rivers, and other features you plan to include. The usual ways are by tracing from something mechanically/digitally constructed, or by projecting an image onto your work surface. A third way is to reconstruct "freehand" by mimicking squares that are (for example) 4 x 4 cm on your source map but 1 x 1 meter on your finished work. This question determines whether you can use an opaque surface.

The second question is what medium you plan to draw with, and how you plan to correct errors. A variety of ways that were available to those of us who drew maps for offset reproduction are not available to fine artists who will be exhibiting the actual working surface. But artists have developed several tools through the years to hold the heel of their hands just off the surface and prevent smudging of just-completed work.

jreddiex

Posted 21 June 2012 - 04:18 PM

jreddiex

Newbie

Validated Member

4 posts

Australia

Hey Dennis,

The reason I am doing such a project is purely for the enjoyment. I'm a surveyor in Queensland, and being a surveyor a lot of our work is done with out a end product. And the subject matter is very interesting to myself. And too give me a task to do when I'm bored. It is a 2 to 3 year goal for completion.

As for horizontal control I was planing on doing as a technical drawing with board and adapted T-square. I am still at the early stages of this project. But I was thinking of creating a backing board with rails along the north-south axis, then creating a clamp-able horizontal piece which could be moved along the north-south axis to where I am drawing

I am looking at doing the drawing at a true longitude and latitude or in the GDA94 system (transverse Mercator projection over 6 degree intervals), Queensland covers three zones (54-56).

As to drawing method, I am looking at plotting the feature then free-handing in between the plotted points. I know this will be time consuming. As for data I will be sourcing a electronic GDA94 data for our government which is sold to the drafting and GIS fields.

Feature will look at are rivers, mountains, islands, cities and some towns (density will be a limiting factor here), and possibly major road ways.

As I am looking at doing it a tech drawing way I was looking at it being a paper and ink product, I am still looking at paper types, and trying to decide what to use. As for correcting I don't trust myself to go strait to ink so I will draw it first in pencil (construction weight) and use plotted check sheets to check the drawn line before any inking begins.

I hope this helps you understand my project better. I understand this is a very big project to start with, but I feel with my approach and training in surveying and some drafting it is not to far beyond my capabilities. I will also be keeping a personal dairy for the project so when I make errors or find ways to improve what I'm doing, I can learn from them.

Any help from cartographers will be greatly appreciated, for knowledge is a weapon.

jreddiex

Posted 24 June 2012 - 08:37 PM

jreddiex

Newbie

Validated Member

4 posts

Australia

Thanks For getting back

I am looking at doing this project for the enjoyment there is no client or on selling.

I was looking at doing this project in a technical drawing method of plotting geographical feature and free handing between these points. I was looking at making a "drawing board" with rail running along the edge with a sliding horizontal piece as a T square.

I am looking at doing a at scale or transverse Mercator projection along the central longitude of the subject area.

The features being displayed are major cities and towns, rivers, mountains, islands, and the major road network.

Data source will be digital sourced of the Queensland government with is used by cartographers and GIS for the Queensland region (I think it is 1:000000 total coverage and major centres are at 1:25000). The data will need to be converted from their system to the system I will use (they have a flattening over a 6degree longitude brand at the area crosses three bands)

I would like us a paper and ink for the final product, still researching paper at the moment. Is it worth going to cotton vellum?

As I am plotting the points and free handing I will first do it in pencil and then line it in with ink, and using plotted check sheets to compare feature location. I have the aim to leave the pencil under the so when you look closely you could see the plotting that I have done.

I am aware how long and time consuming the method I wish to do is, but if it takes 3 to 5 years I will not care.

Like I said before I have never done anything like this and any advise would greatly be appreciated. I am a surveyor that does some drafting in ACAD, so I am comfortable with the heavy calculations that this will involve.

jreddiex

Posted 26 June 2012 - 04:29 PM

The reason for doing such a project is for enjoyment. I am a surveyor that enjoys maps and does some drafting in ACAD from raw data collected in the field.

The plan is to do the map by plotting the features by hand on the long lat grid that will drawn on the sheet and then freehand in-between the plotted point. I am aware of how labour intensive such a process is.

I plan on doing it on a single sheet and would like no joining of sheets to be visible if I need two use two sheets. I am looking at a paper and ink output. I am looking at types of paper that would be best for such products, I am looking at inking with technical drafting pens so the line work will be nice and thin. Any ideas in what paper types and if I should look at different pens types for a better result.

As for the drafting surface I plan on making a drafting board at the size of the product as using it set up vertically or with a slight lean from the vertical, at the moment the idea is to use a 12mm MDF or similar board with a card backing and placing vertical rails on each side to 1 clamp the paper so it does not move during the whole project and 2 use a sliding horizontal piece that locks in to a set place to enable technical drawing anywhere on the map (which will be important as I'm plotting the locations).

As for error correction the plan is to first do the drawing in pencil and then ink the pencil later, I will be looking at printing a check sheet to compare my work to electronic productions.

I am looking at using a true scale or transverse Mercator projecting. I a leaning towards the second option so I don't have to curve the longitudinal lines (1.5m of a single curved line will be very hard to manually draw).

I can get data in a national co-ordinate format, and can convert this to long lat format.

As for displayed feature I would like to shown cities and large towns, waterways, islands, mountains and possibly the major road network. As I looking at the base reference data this list may expand.